Take your vitamins! In moderation, says one local doctor

CINCINNATI - Dr. Charles Glueck of The Jewish Hospital Cholesterol and Metabolism Center said Americans take vitamins and supplements they just don't need.

Dr. Glueck said he often sees patients who have long lists of vitamins and supplements they take on a daily or weekly basis. 

"The average American is not vitamin deficient, almost never, and we don't need any or all of supplemental vitamins, which are pushed so hard by industry," said Dr. Glueck. "You'll see ads for vitamins for men and women, and for older men and older women and the answer is we probably don't need them."

• Read more: The scoop of vitamins and supplements

One question he is routinely asked by patients is if they should be taking a daily fish oil capsule.

"The short answer is we don't have enough data. Research tells us that populations that eat a large amount of ocean fish, like oily fish like salmon, anchovies, mackerel, have lower heart disease than populations that don't."

While he does not recommend fish oil capsules to patients as part of his practice, Glueck states early evidence suggests they may play a role in optimal nutrition.




For more information on health programs at The Jewish Hospital Cholesterol and Metabolism Center or to obtain copies of recipes, call (513) 924-8250.